An Imaginary Castle on the Hill and Land Management
Description
What if the land around you could speak? In this episode, we journey into the Glenasmole Valley, where memory lives in the folds of the earth, in forgotten place names, and even in imagined castles.
Blending local history, folklore, and ecology, I share a personal story sparked by a mysterious vision on a hillside, a vision that opens a much deeper conversation about how we read the land and what it tells us about how it was once used, and how it wants to be used today.
Using heritage maps, place names, and on-the-ground observation, we explore how ancient farming techniques, old field boundaries, and even traces of lost forests can guide us toward better, more sustainable land management practices today. We look at how Ireland's traditional ecological knowledge, from the lazy beds of famine times to stories from the mythical Fianna can help us care for our landscapes in a time of ecological crisis.
Whether you're a farmer, rewilding advocate, trail runner or simply someone curious about how the past and present of a landscape intertwine, this episode will deepen your sense of place and show how remembering the land's story helps us shape a better ecological future.